Benny Leonard - the fifth best fighter of all-time

Bert Randolph Sugar, in his book The 100 Greatest Boxers of All Time, rated world lightweight champion Benny Leonard as the fifth greatest boxer of all time.

Born Benjamin Leiner on 7 April 1896 in New York, when no Jewish fighter fought under his own name ,Benny “Leonard” was born, taking the name from the old minstrel performer Eddie Leonard so that his mother would not discover that he boxed.

He made his pro debut at the age of 15 against Mickey Finnegan and lost on a third-round stoppage due to a cut.

According to reports, he began boxing at the age of nine and even then, showed speed and instinctive knowledge of how to use his left hand.

On 5 March 1912, he suffered his second loss when he was knocked out by Joe Shugrue in the fourth round and it was after this fight that his mother urged him to give up boxing, but he pleaded with her that he was earning good money and would ensure that he was never hurt again.

He soon became known as “The Ghetto Wizard” and was a master technician who was determined to hit and not be hit.

Leonard, with slicked down, brilliantined hair, practised what was called the “art of self-defence”, and after every fight, he ran his hand through his hair and announced, “I never even got my hair messed”.

On 31 March 1916 at the Madison Square Garden in New York, he challenged 139-fight veteran world lightweight champion Freddie Welsh and, although it was a no-decision bout, the champion’s title was at risk if he was stopped inside the distance.

As was the custom at the time, Leonard was given the newspaper decision but this did not give him the title.

In a return match with Welsh on 28 May 1917 at the Manhattan Casino in New York, he stopped Welsh in the ninth round to win the world lightweight title.

He continued fighting against top class fighters before going in against one of the great welterweight champions, Ted “Kid” Lewis from England, fighting to a draw over eight rounds, with Lewis getting the newspaper decision.

Leonard was kept busy meeting quality fighters but with very few decisions rendered due to the law at the time, before challenging world welterweight champion Jack Britton (193-40-37) at the Velodrome in the Bronx. This was to end in one of the most controversial fights in history.

Britton was well ahead according to reports when, in the 13th round, Leonard hit Britton while he was on the canvas, causing the referee to disqualify him.

He continued fighting and, after scoring a newspaper decision over Pal Moran on 11 August 1924, he announced his retirement from boxing.

Seven years later he was forced to make a comeback when the stock market crashed and on 6 October 1931, he stopped Pat Silvers in two rounds.

A shadow of his former self at 36-years-old, he remained unbeaten in 19 fights but was then badly beaten by Jimmy McLarnin on 7 October 1932 when he was stopped in the sixth round to finish with a reported record of 220 fights, 186 wins (included newspaper decisions), with 70 inside the distance, 22 losses, nine draws and three no-contests.

After retiring from boxing, he was a much-sough-after dinner speaker and when the United States entered World War II, he enlisted in the Maritime Service and took charge of physical training, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

In 1943, he worked as a boxing referee and sadly, after refereeing the first six bouts on 18 April 1947 at the St Nicholas Arena in New York, he suffered a massive heart attack during the first round of the fight between Mario Ramon and Bobby Williams.

After falling to the canvas, he died in the ring at the age of 51 and was interred at Mount Carmel Cemetery in Glendale, New York.

Amongst the many honours he received, he was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, World Boxing Hall of Fame, International Boxing Hall of Fame, National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, and the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame.